Western Railroad Discussion > shippers feel railroaded

Older, but this shows the politics of things.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-09-26-0609260144-story.html

Open access!

TAW

Posted from Android

I keep saying that groups like G&W are going to either want large scale trackage rights or as you say, open access. Here
comes the Aussie model.

Out 

Oh, so we are going to have the government buy and maintain the rails?  Rather than Aussie, the US will look like India.

Ever since the dawn of man & rails, the shippers have complained about rates..

Sven Molson
In a cabin above the Arctic Circle where open access does work.

SvenMolson Wrote:
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> Oh, so we are going to have the government buy and
> maintain the rails?  Rather than Aussie, the US
> will look like India.
>
> Ever since the dawn of man & rails, the shippers
> have complained about rates..
>
> Sven Molson
> In a cabin above the Arctic Circle where open
> access does work.

Well they tried having having the rails being privately owned in the UK.
After a few derailments and accidents due to undermaintained trackage the government took back the ownership and maintenance of the track.

 An article from 2006? seriously

flarails882 Wrote:
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>  An article from 2006? seriously

Yup, 14 years later and what's changed to better the grain shippers and farmers?  Other than those organizations with unit train facilities, most grain is being trucked.  Spurs to grain elevators have been abandoned or removed for access to semi grain carriers.  Meanwhile, we the taxpayers, get stuck for state, federal, and city street maintenance and rebuilding what these trucks may damage.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/20 17:00 by rrman6.

Just look at how well the govt operates Amtrak and maintains the NE Corridor..  
RB

To show everybody that nothing has improved/changed.

flarails882 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  An article from 2006? seriously

Does any candidate for the presidency even mention freight railroads?  Nothing is going to change because the vast majority of Americans don't even know railroads exist.

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
My Flickr Shots

bobwilcox Wrote:
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> Does any candidate for the presidency even mention
> freight railroads?  Nothing is going to change
> because the vast majority of Americans don't even
> know railroads exist.


No, Americans notice...just watch what happens when an "awful oil train" or a train hauling hazardous chemicals derails or makes "too much noise" in the middle of the night....??!!

Posted from Android

Ah yes the outrage of the day!  People move on to the next outrage very quickly.

Bob Wilcox
Charlottesville, VA
My Flickr Shots

bobwilcox Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does any candidate for the presidency even mention
> freight railroads?  Nothing is going to change
> because the vast majority of Americans don't even
> know railroads exist.

Sanders has several times talked about the need to improve "freight and passenger railroads."

TAW

rrman6 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> flarails882 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >  An article from 2006? seriously
>
> Yup, 14 years later and what's changed to better
> the grain shippers and farmers?  Other than those
> organizations with unit train facilities, most
> grain is being trucked.  Spurs to grain elevators
> have been abandoned or removed for access to semi
> grain carriers.  Meanwhile, we the taxpayers, get
> stuck for state, federal, and city street
> maintenance and rebuilding what these trucks may
> damage.

Nothing, we've been pulling up rr tracks since the 1920s, and complaining about service since the dawn of railroads.  Things have been trending towards trucks when the interstate system developed.  Taxpayer drain? Have you seen what a drain a forced commuter line can do to a bottom line?